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Haiti - UN : Maria Isabel Salvador stresses the urgency of the deployment of a specialized international force 27/04/2023 09:29:27
Intervention by Maria Isabel Salvador : (Security Council on Haiti) "Mr. President, Distinguished members of the Security Council, During my initial exchanges and interactions, I observed that apathfor Haitians to engage in dialogue towards restoring democratic institutions in the country has been charted. However, the general sentiment is thatit will be difficult to move forward without effectively addressing rampant insecurity. Since the last briefing to the Council by my predecessor in January gang criminality has grown. Gang violence is expanding at an alarming rate in areas previously considered relatively safe in Port-au-Princeand outside the capital. The horrific violence in gang-ridden areas, including sexual violence, particularly against women and girls, is emblematic of the terror afflicting much of Haiti’s population. Allow me,Mr. President, to sharefigures that illustrate the shocking increase in criminality in Haiti. According to data collected by the Haitian National Police and by BINUH, in the first quarter of 2022, 692 criminal incidents – defined as homicide, rape, kidnappings and lynching -were reported. In the same period in 2023the number of recorded criminal incidents rosemore than double to1,647.Last month showedthe highest incident rates since 2005. Faced with increasingly violent armed gangs vying for control of neighborhoods of the capital, with limited or no police presence, some residents have begun to take matters in their own hands. These dynamics lead indefectibly to the breakdown of social fabric with unpredictable consequences for the entire region. Only two days ago,in Port-au-Prince, a group of civilians took13 suspected gang members from police custody,beat them to death and burnedtheir bodies. The Government has continued to invest in the Haitian National Police. However, the force is severely understaffed and ill-equipped to address the violence and criminality. Deaths, dismissals, and increased resignationsamong the police have cut its operational strength from 14,772 to about 13,200 personnel, of whom only approximately 9,000 perform police tasks. Barely 3,500 police officers are on public safety duty at any given time, nationwide. In the meantime, recruitment of new police officers has been halted due to deteriorating security and logistical constraints. The national police succeed in mounting some effective anti-gang operations butholding these security gains is merely momentary. The need for urgent international support to the police to address the rapidly deteriorating security situation cannot be overemphasized. Mr. President, Members of the Council, Beyond the immediate support the national police require, it is urgent to make progress towards a nationallyled solution to the long-standing political impasse. This is fundamental to restore sustainable and durable security, as well as social and economic stability. Mr. President, I will now turn to the human rights situation. With the increase in armed gang violence, Haitians have continued to suffer one of the worst humanrightscrisis in decades. People living in areas under gang control are exposed to the highest rate of human rights abuses. Interviews carried out by BINUH indicate that gangs continue to use sexual violence, includingmultiple perpetrator rape, to terrorize and inflict pain on populations living in areas under the control of their rivals. Other forms of sexual violence, such as sexual exploitation, were also reported as being used by gangs against women and girls living in communities under their influence. Children are among the victims of the most heinous crimes, including killings, kidnappings, and rape. Over the last three months, school children have been hit by bullets while sitting in their classrooms and kidnapped when being dropped off at school. Furthermore, many schools closed late last year as a result of violence and extortion by gangs. Despite most reopening in early 2023, many children have not returned to the classroom due to violence near the school or in their neighborhoods, or inability by their families to pay school fees. I am deeply shocked by reports of snipers indiscriminately targeting civilians. In this context of high vulnerability, children are being recruited into armed gangs.The appointment by the High Commissioner for Human Rights of an Independent Expert on Human Rights following a request from the Haitian Government, is a welcomed development that will strengthen human rights monitoring and protection mechanisms. Monsieur le Président, Je condamne fermement les incidents répandus de violence sexuelle commis par des gangs armés. Ces incidents sont gravement sous-déclarés par rapport à d'autres types de violence en raison de la peur des représailles, de la stigmatisation par les familles et les communautés et de la disponibilité limitée des services de santé et psychosociaux, entre autres facteurs. Il est essentiel que ces crimes ne restent pas impunis et que les auteurs de violences sexuelles soient traduits en justice. To conclude, I would like to emphasize the urgent need for the deployment,authorized by the Security Council,of an international specialized force, as articulated by the Secretary-General in his letter dated 8 October 2022.We need to find innovative ways to define the forceto support the HaitianNational Police. Haiti requires immediate assistance to counter increasing armed gang violence and to develop its police. Therapidly deteriorating security situation demands that the country remains at the centerof international attention and action.Further delay in addressing the unprecedented insecurity in Haiti could also lead to a spill-over of insecurity in the region.The decisive support of the Security Council remains crucial in ensuring security, rule of law, stability,and peace in Haiti. Mr. President, Members of the Council, Time is of the essence, and the Haitian peopledeserve your urgent action. If not supported, the vicious circle of violence, political, social, and economic crisis, in which the people struggle every day, will continue to turn. Breaking this daunting circle must not be delayed. The Haitian people cannot wait.We need to act now." HL/ HaitiLibre
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